Mid 20th Century
179-510: Stacy Ann-Marie Keibler (born October 14, 1979) is an American actress and retired professional wrestler , cheerleader , dancer , and model . She is best known for her tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Keibler began her professional wrestling career as a part of the Nitro Girls in WCW. She quickly moved on to a more prominent role in
358-685: A Ray Lewis interception return for a score put the game squarely in Baltimore's favor. The 24–10 win put the Ravens in the AFC Championship against the Oakland Raiders . The game was rarely in doubt. Shannon Sharpe 's 96-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter followed by an injury to Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon were crucial as the Ravens won easily, 16–3. Baltimore then went to Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV against
537-425: A Tag Team Evening Gown match at WrestleMania XX , which they lost when Jackie was pinned by Wilson, and the feud was dropped afterward. Before the feud was dropped, all the performers were playing face characters at the time. She took over the 2004 Raw Diva Search for a few weeks, which led to several tag matches against the heel gimmicks of Gail Kim , Trish Stratus , and Molly Holly and with partners Nidia and
716-589: A babyface in WWE. In the spring of 2003, Test, however, became to verbally abuse Keibler, who also started managing Scott Steiner . After months of build-up, Keibler finally left Test for Steiner on the June 2 edition of Raw . Steiner defeated Test for Keibler's services at Bad Blood , and Keibler seemed happy as Steiner's new manager, as the two alluded to having more than a professional relationship. Test, however, continued to harass Keibler and Steiner until Steiner accepted
895-435: A bona fide athletic contest or competition. Professional wrestling is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting bona fide athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed professional wrestling under this Part. Professional wrestling as used in this Part shall not depend on whether the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in
1074-415: A performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in the 19th century, who later sought to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunt work to their performances to further enhance
1253-415: A professional wrestling exhibition. All engagements of professional wrestling shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches. In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a worked match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A shoot match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from
1432-673: A 1,364-yard rushing season by rookie Jamal Lewis helped too) but the defense became the team's hallmark and bailed a struggling offense out in many instances through the season. Ray Lewis was named Defensive Player of the Year. Two of his defensive teammates, Sam Adams and Rod Woodson , made the Pro Bowl . Baltimore's season started strong with a 5–1 record. But the team struggled through mid-season, at one point going five games without scoring an offensive touchdown. The team regrouped and won each of their last seven games, finishing 12–4 and making
1611-588: A 20–3 win over the Miami Dolphins , in which the team forced three turnovers and out-gained the Dolphins 347 yards to 151. In the divisional playoff the Ravens played the Pittsburgh Steelers . Three interceptions by Grbac ended the Ravens' season, as they lost 27–10. Baltimore ran into salary cap problems entering the 2002 season and was forced to part with a number of impact players. In
1790-508: A 34–7 win. In 2001 , the Ravens attempted to defend their title with Elvis Grbac as their new starting quarterback, but a season-ending injury to Jamal Lewis on the first day of training camp and poor offensive performances stymied the team. After a 3–3 start, the Ravens defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the final week to clinch a wild card berth at 10–6. In the first round the Ravens showed flashes of their previous year with
1969-413: A background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish. Gorgeous George , who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over
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#17328015012842148-532: A carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned. Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the Civil War , with catch wrestling eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so
2327-519: A central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to
2506-585: A champion that Curley put forth: Dick Shikat . The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from
2685-460: A couple of weeks later to get her revenge and gave Keibler a wedgie then pantsed her on an episode of SmackDown! . She then defeated Keibler in the first-ever lingerie match, a match wrestled in lingerie, at No Mercy . Keibler made her WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania X8 alongside The Dudleyz. Keibler's role with the Dudley Boyz came to an abrupt end during Raw after WrestleMania when she
2864-515: A degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded kayfabe by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans. I watch championship wrestling from Florida with wrestling commentator Gordon Solie . Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an Oscar . Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore . The Ravens compete in
3043-404: A distinct vernacular . It has achieved mainstream success and influence within popular culture , with many terms, tropes , and concepts being referenced in everyday language as well as in film , music , television , and video games . Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by the broader public. In the United States, wrestling
3222-410: A fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers
3401-550: A former NFL Cheerleader , she helped prepare the contestants to perform publicly in Universal Studios . On April 6, 2019, Keibler made a surprise return to induct Torrie Wilson into the WWE Hall of Fame . In 2021, WWE Network listed Keibler as one of the women who made an impact in WWE outside the ring. On March 15, 2023, Keibler was reported to be entering the WWE Hall of Fame , being confirmed on March 27, 2023. She
3580-532: A guest appearance in the spy comedy Chuck season 4, episode 3 titled "Chuck versus the Cubic Z" alongside guests Nicole Richie and fellow WWE alum "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Keibler played the role of CIA agent "Greta". In 2011, Keibler hosted Call of Duty Elite's Friday Night Fights. In 2013, Keibler hosted a Lifetime show called Supermarket Superstar , where home chefs fought for their product to be sold in supermarkets. In 2014, she reprised her role as Karina in
3759-405: A legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have
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#17328015012843938-799: A match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the National Wrestling Association , which in turn crowned
4117-415: A mixed-tag-team match on Raw and a singles match on Heat . After a long tenure on Monday nights, Keibler and Christy Hemme , were moved to SmackDown! on August 25, as part of a trade that brought Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle to Raw . On SmackDown! Keibler participated in lingerie matches and bikini contests. After a short absence, Keibler began a short feud with Jillian Hall , which led to
4296-424: A more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's Pro Wrestling League . In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as: Professional wrestling means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise
4475-440: A new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to
4654-672: A new franchise. Not all players, staff or front office would make the move to Baltimore, however. After relocation, Modell hired Ted Marchibroda as the head coach for his new team in Baltimore. Marchibroda was already well known because of his work as head coach of the Baltimore Colts during the 1970s and the Indianapolis Colts during the early 1990s. Ozzie Newsome , the Browns' tight end for many seasons, joined Modell in Baltimore as director of football operations. He
4833-434: A new franchise. This led to heated arguments between Cooke and Angelos, who accused Cooke of being a " carpetbagger ". The league eventually persuaded Rams team president John Shaw to relocate to St. Louis instead, leading to a league-wide rumor that Tagliabue was again steering interest away from Baltimore, a claim which Tagliabue denied. In response to anger in Baltimore, including Governor Schaefer's threat to announce over
5012-651: A new group of investors, including author Tom Clancy , to bid on teams whose owners had expressed interest in relocating. Angelos found a potential partner in Georgia Frontiere , who was open to moving the Los Angeles Rams to Baltimore. Jack Kent Cooke opposed the move, intending to build the Redskins' new stadium in Laurel, Maryland , close enough to Baltimore to cool outside interest in bringing in
5191-676: A regular season record of 263–197–1 (.572), the second-highest among active franchises. They also own the fourth-highest playoff winning percentage at 17–13 (.567). The team has qualified for the NFL playoffs 15 times since 2000 with two Super Bowl titles ( Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLVII ), two AFC Championship titles ( 2000 and 2012 ), five AFC Championship game appearances ( 2000 , 2008 , 2011 , 2012 , and 2023 ), and seven AFC North division titles ( 2003 , 2006 , 2011 , 2012 , 2018 , 2019 , and 2023 ). They are one of two teams to be undefeated in multiple Super Bowl appearances, along with
5370-511: A rematch with Stacy's services on the line. On the August 18 episode of Raw , Test won the match after faking a leg injury and then blindsiding Steiner with a big boot. A match was then set for Unforgiven with the stipulation that if Test won, he would not only retain Keibler's services, but would acquire Steiner's services as well. During the match, Keibler's interference backfired, and Test won
5549-667: A result, and was later indefinitely suspended by the NFL, although a judge later vacated this indefinite suspension. In Week 12, the Ravens traveled down for an interconference battle with the New Orleans Saints , which the Ravens won. In Week 16, the Ravens traveled to Houston to take on the Texans. In one of Flacco's worst performances, the offense sputtered against the Houston defense and Flacco threw three interceptions, falling to
Stacy Keibler - Misplaced Pages Continue
5728-663: A sadistic side, as she loved watching other people's pain and misfortune, and regularly enjoyed mocking them by pointing and laughing. She originally teamed up with real-life friend, then-heel, Torrie Wilson , and the pair feuded with Trish Stratus and Lita . During this feud the four wrestlers competed in the first-ever tag team Bra and Panties Match at the Invasion pay-per-view, which Trish and Lita won by stripping Stacy and Wilson down to their bra & panties . After this she and Torrie moved on to targeting Jacqueline and were shown backstage enjoying watching Jacqueline cry over
5907-509: A series of polls on WCW's website, which narrowed down the field to eight finalists. Keibler was declared the winner of the contest on the November 8, 1999 edition of Nitro after receiving the most online votes out of the eight finalists and was given a spot on the dance troupe along with a $ 10,000 prize. Her winning routine was watched by 4.4 million viewers. Keibler performed dance routines every week on WCW's flagship show Monday Nitro under
6086-471: A settlement between the league and the city of Cleveland, Modell was required to leave the Browns' history, team colors, and records in Cleveland for a replacement team and replacement personnel that would resume play in 1999 . In return, he was allowed to take his own personnel and team to Baltimore, where such personnel would form an expansion team . Therefore, the Ravens were the only franchise in any of
6265-471: A short alliance with Tazz , as they battled the likes of Spike Dudley and Tajiri . Stacy found it amusing how short these men were and told Torrie that their height made them lesser men. Torrie had begun dating Tajiri at this time and this caused the evil Stacy to begin an on-screen rivalry with her former friend. The feud started with a couple of mixed tag matches involving the women and included Stacy sneak attacking Torrie backstage on an episode of Raw. As
6444-490: A son. Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling ) is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship . The staged nature of matches
6623-555: A sort of "Judgment Day" with the new team of Baltimore facing the old team of Baltimore (the former Baltimore Colts having left Baltimore under questionable circumstances in 1984). Both Indianapolis and Baltimore were held to scoring only field goals as the two defenses slugged it out all over M&T Bank Stadium. McNair threw two costly interceptions, including one at the 1-yard line. The eventual Super Bowl champion Colts won 15–6, ending Baltimore's season. The Ravens hoped to improve upon their 13–3 record but injuries and poor play plagued
6802-727: A stunning MNF upset loss in Jacksonville as they were held to one touchdown in a 12–7 loss. Their final scoring drive failed as Joe Flacco threw an interception in the closing seconds of the game. After beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 of the regular season, the Ravens advanced to the playoffs as the Number 2 seed in the AFC with a record of 12–4. They gained the distinction of AFC North Champions over Pittsburgh (12–4) due to
6981-542: A tie-breaker. Ravens' Lee Evans was stripped of a 14-yard touchdown pass by the Patriots Sterling Moore with 22 seconds left and Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff pushed a 32-yard field goal attempt wide left on fourth down as the Patriots held on to beat the Ravens 23–20 during the AFC championship game and advance to Super Bowl XLVI. The Ravens' attempt to convert Joe Flacco into a pocket passer remained
7160-503: A typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local channels via UHF broadcasting . But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called All-American Wrestling airing on the USA Network in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in
7339-586: A victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves. In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the East Coast (outside its traditional heartland in the Midwest ). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point
Stacy Keibler - Misplaced Pages Continue
7518-654: A video of Rice dragging Palmer's body out of an elevator after apparently knocking her out. For the incident, Rice was initially suspended for the first two games of the 2014 NFL season on July 25, 2014, which led to widespread criticism of the NFL. In Week 1, on September 7, the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals , 23–16. The next day, on September 8, 2014, TMZ released additional footage from an elevator camera showing Rice punching Palmer. The Baltimore Ravens terminated Rice's contract as
7697-497: A work in progress as the 2012 season began. Terrell Suggs suffered a tendon injury during an off-season basketball game and was unable to play for at least several weeks. In the opener on September 10, Baltimore routed Cincinnati 44–13. After this easy win, the team headed to Philadelphia, but lost 24–23. Returning home for a primetime rematch of the AFC Championship, another bizarre game ensued. New England picked apart
7876-410: Is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word kayfabe to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted
8055-434: Is an open secret , with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions, which is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain a " gimmick " consisting of a specific persona , stage name , entrance theme , and other distinguishing traits. Matches are
8234-579: Is considered to be a sex symbol and is known for her unusually long legs. She has been known as both "The Legs of WCW" and "The Legs of WWE". During Keibler's time on Dancing with the Stars , judge Bruno Tonioli nicknamed her "The Weapon of Mass Seduction". Stacy Keibler was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 27, 2023. Stacy Ann-Marie Keibler was born on October 14, 1979, in Rosedale, Maryland ,
8413-427: Is generally practiced in an amateur context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example, Real Pro Wrestling , an American professional freestyle wrestling league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as Iran and India , wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has
8592-466: The Starrcade 1998 pay-per-view before the television title match, dancing in an NWO Wolfpac T-shirt. In September 1999, Keibler entered a nationwide contest held by World Championship Wrestling to find a new member of the Nitro Girls dance troupe, which was organized in an attempt to boost the show's declining ratings. A total of 300 women participated in the contest; the results were decided by
8771-497: The 1985 Chicago Bears defense. Since the divisional rival Tennessee Titans had a record of 13–3, the Ravens had to play in the wild card round. They dominated the Denver Broncos 21–3 in their first game. In the divisional playoff, they went on the road to Tennessee. With the score tied 10–10 in the fourth quarter, an Al Del Greco field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown by Anthony Mitchell, and
8950-654: The AFC Championship Game by avenging a Week 5 loss to the Titans 13–10 at LP Field on a Matt Stover field goal with 53 seconds left in regulation time. The Ravens fell one victory short of Super Bowl XLIII by losing to the Steelers 23–14 at Heinz Field on January 18, 2009. In 2009 , the Ravens won their first three games, then lost the next three, including a close match in Minnesota . The rest of
9129-583: The AFC North . The Ravens ended the regular season with a franchise-best 13–3 record. Baltimore had secured the AFC North title, the No. 2 AFC playoff seed, and clinched a 1st-round bye by season's end. The Ravens were slated to face the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the playoffs, in the first meeting of the two teams in the playoffs. Many Baltimore and Indianapolis fans saw this historic meeting as
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#17328015012849308-615: The Bash at the Beach in a Wedding Gown match , which she lost after she removed her own gown. Hancock next briefly feuded with Kimberly Page , but the storyline ended abruptly when Page quit the company. Keibler and Flair then began a feud with the Misfits in Action stable , including a mud wrestling singles match against Major Gunns at New Blood Rising . During the match, she was kicked in
9487-702: The National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its home games at M&T Bank Stadium and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland . The Baltimore Ravens were established in 1996 after Art Modell , then owner of the Cleveland Browns , announced plans in 1995 to relocate the franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. As part of
9666-624: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a " sports entertainment " company. In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was catch wrestling . Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. In
9845-489: The New York Giants . The Ravens' defense carried them to a win. They recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, one of which was a Kerry Collins interception returned for a touchdown by Duane Starks . The Giants' only score was a Ron Dixon kickoff return for a touchdown; however, the Ravens immediately countered with a touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff by Jermaine Lewis . The Ravens became champions with
10024-462: The New York Jets before the season, and was replaced by former Indianapolis Colt Jim Harbaugh , and later Eric Zeier . Cornerback Rod Woodson joined the team after a successful stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers , and Priest Holmes started getting the first playing time of his career and ran for 1,000 yards. The Ravens finished 1998 with a 6–10 record. On November 29, the Ravens welcomed
10203-472: The Pro Football Hall of Fame . The name "Ravens" was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe 's poem The Raven . Chosen in a fan contest that drew 33,288 voters, the allusion honors Poe who spent the early part of his career in Baltimore and is buried there. Other names polled included "Marauders", "Americans", and "Bombers", among others. As The Baltimore Sun reported at the time, fans also "liked
10382-446: The St. Louis Rams and had the best season of his career with 17 touchdown passes and an 81.2 pass rating. He was joined by receiver Qadry Ismail , who posted a 1,000-yard season. The Ravens initially struggled with a record of 4–7 but managed to finish with an 8–8 record. Due to continual financial hardships for the organization, the NFL took an unusual move and directed Modell to initiate
10561-633: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers . The Ravens organization was led by general manager Ozzie Newsome from 1996 until his retirement following the 2018 season, and has had three head coaches: Ted Marchibroda , Brian Billick , and since 2008, John Harbaugh . Starting with a record-breaking defensive performance in their 2000 season , the Ravens have established a reputation for strong defensive play throughout team history. Former players such as middle linebacker Ray Lewis , safety Ed Reed , and offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden have been enshrined in
10740-565: The WCW/ECW Invasion was nearing its end, Keibler became the manager of the heel Dudley Boyz . She made her first appearance in this role on the October 1, 2001 episode of Raw , and was nicknamed the " Duchess of Dudleyville". During this time, Stacy continued to show her sadistic side as she took great pleasure in watching the likes of Torrie Wilson and Spike Dudley get driven violently through tables, and particularly enjoyed being
10919-557: The independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in the United States , Mexico , Japan , and northwest Europe (the United Kingdom , Germany/Austria and France ), which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. Professional wrestling has developed its own culture and community , including
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#173280150128411098-431: The playoffs for the first time. During the 2000 season, the Ravens' dominating defense broke a notable NFL record. They held opposing teams to 165 total points, surpassing the 1986 Chicago Bears mark of 187 points for a 16-game season, which at that time was the current NFL record. That record still stands, and the 2000 Ravens remain in the discussion as one of the greatest NFL defenses of all time, most notably alongside
11277-431: The spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from the competitive sport to become an artform and genre of sports entertainment . Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various " promotions ", which are roughly analogous to production companies or sports leagues . Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on
11456-464: The two-minute warning but turned the ball over on downs. The Ravens then took an intentional safety in the waning moments of the game to preserve the victory. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco , who completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, was named Super Bowl MVP. Coming off as the defending Super Bowl champions, this was the first year in franchise history for the team without Ray Lewis. The Ravens started out 3–2, and started
11635-584: The 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the Gold Dust Trio introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams, suplexes , punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either faces (likeable) or heels (villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in
11814-400: The 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in
11993-509: The 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its World Heavyweight Championship . Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. In professional wrestling, two factors decide
12172-542: The 2–0 Houston Texans 14-loss streak by shutting them 30–9 in Week 3. However, the Ravens lost their next 3 games, losing to the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers in last-minute field goals and were shut out in an attempt to tie the game against the Cleveland Browns 24–18. After winning and losing their next game, the Ravens came out 4–6, but managed winning their next four games in dominating
12351-416: The 32nd pick in the 2018 draft. After the team started the season with a 4–5 record, Jackson took over as the starting QB in Week 11 when Joe Flacco was sidelined with a hip injury. The team won six of its next seven games, finishing the 2018 season with a 10–6 record and winning the AFC North, giving them their first playoff appearance since 2014 and their first division title since 2012. The Ravens lost to
12530-653: The Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960. In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member Joe Dusek recognized Verne Gagne as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of Minnesota . Unlike
12709-461: The Baltimore defense (which was considerably weakened without Terrell Suggs and some other players lost over the off-season) for the first half. Trouble began early in the game when a streaker ran out onto the field and had to be tackled by security, and accelerated when, at 2:18 in the 4th quarter, the referees made a holding call on RG Marshal Yanda . Enraged fans repeatedly chanted an obscenity at this penalty. The Ravens finally drove downfield and on
12888-509: The Chiefs 30–7, but once again were knocked from the playoffs by Pittsburgh in a hard-fought game 31–24. The Ravens hosted their arch-enemy in Week 1 of the 2011 season. On a hot, humid day in M&;T Bank Stadium, crowd noise and multiple Steelers mistakes allowed Baltimore to crush them with three touchdowns 35–7. The frustrated Pittsburgh players also committed several costly penalties. Thus,
13067-477: The Colts back to Baltimore for the first time in 15 years. Amidst a shower of negative cheers towards the Colts, the Ravens won 38–31. Three consecutive losing seasons under Marchibroda led to a change in the head coach. Brian Billick took over as head coach in 1999 . Billick had been offensive coordinator for the record-setting Minnesota Vikings the season before. Quarterback Tony Banks came to Baltimore from
13246-545: The E! Special Maxim's Celebrity Beach Watch: 15 Hottest Bodies on September 16, 2009, and The Ultimate Spike Girl 2009 Finale on Spike TV on October 1, 2009. On January 11, 2010, Keibler appeared as "the hot bartender", a new conquest for Barney, in the How I Met Your Mother 100th episode, " Girls Versus Suits ". On February 3, 2010, Keibler appeared on an episode of the USA Network show Psych . On Oct. 4, 2010, Keibler made
13425-504: The Jets 10–9 on the 2010 opener, but then lost a poorly played game against Cincinnati the following week. The Ravens rebounded against the other two division teams, beating Cleveland 24–17 in Week 3 and then. The Ravens scored a fine win (31–17) at home against Denver in Week 5. The Ravens finished the season 12–4, second in the division due to a tiebreaker with Pittsburgh, and earning a wild card spot. Baltimore headed to Kansas City and defeated
13604-583: The Jets 19–3, a Steelers win 22–20 during Thanksgiving, a booming ending in Baltimore against the Vikings 29–26, and an 18–16 win at Detroit, including Justin Tucker's 61-yard game-winning field goal. The Ravens were 8–6, with the 6th seed, but after losing their next two games, and the San Diego Chargers winning their next two to clinch the 6th seed, the Ravens finished 8–8 and missed the playoffs for
13783-579: The NFL Draft, the team selected Ed Reed with the 24th overall pick. Reed would go on to become one of the best safeties in NFL history, making nine Pro Bowls until leaving the Ravens for the Houston Texans in 2013. Despite low expectations, the Ravens stayed somewhat competitive in 2002 until a losing streak in December eliminated any chances of a postseason berth and a 7–9 finish. In 2003 ,
13962-579: The NFL, which the franchise recognized with a special badge being worn on their uniforms during the 2015 NFL season. The Ravens lost key players such as Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett , Terrell Suggs, Steve Smith Sr., and Eugene Monroe to season-ending injuries. Injuries and their inability to win close games early in the season led to the first losing season in the Harbaugh-Flacco era with a 5–11 mark. The 2016 Ravens finished 8–8, but failed to qualify
14141-408: The NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from
14320-488: The NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the north-east , withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into
14499-674: The Pain , WWE Day of Reckoning , WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw , WWE WrestleMania 21 , WWE Day of Reckoning 2 , WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 , WWE 2K22 (as downloadable content ), WWE 2K23 and WWE 2K24 . Keibler also appears in Dancing with the Stars , a game based on the ABC series of the same name , and the WWE SuperCard and WWE Champions mobile games. Keibler's boyfriend of five years from 1994 to 1999, Kris Cumberland,
14678-535: The Ravens being held to only 54 yards total rushing. The Titans won 20–17 on a late field goal, and Baltimore's season ended early. Ray Lewis was also named Defensive Player of the year for the second time in his career. In April 2003, Art Modell sold 49% of the team to Steve Bisciotti , a local businessman who had made his fortune in the temporary staffing field. After the season, Art Modell sold his remaining 51% ownership to Bisciotti, ending over 40 years of tenure as an NFL franchise owner. The Ravens did not make
14857-503: The Ravens drafted their new quarterback, Kyle Boller , but he was injured midway through the season and was replaced by Anthony Wright . Jamal Lewis ran for 2,066 yards (including a then-NFL record 295 yards in one game against the Cleveland Browns on September 14). With a 10–6 record, Baltimore won their first AFC North division title. Their first playoff game, at home against the Tennessee Titans , went back and forth, with
15036-472: The Ravens entered the 2008 campaign with much uncertainty. Baltimore smartly recovered in 2008, winning eleven games and achieving a wild card spot in the postseason. On the strength of four interceptions, one resulting in an Ed Reed touchdown, the Ravens began its postseason run by winning a rematch over Miami 27–9 at Dolphin Stadium on January 4, 2009, in a wild-card game. Six days later, they advanced to
15215-545: The Ravens had gained their first-ever victory over the Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger playing and avenged themselves of repeated regular and postseason losses in the series. But in Week 2, the Ravens collapsed in Tennessee and lost 26–13. They rebounded by routing the Rams in Week 3 and then overpowering the Jets 34–17 in Week 4. Week 5, the Ravens had a bye week, following a game against the Texans. But in Week 7, Baltimore had
15394-484: The Ravens played the final professional sporting event at Baltimore's historic Memorial Stadium , winning 21–19 over the Tennessee Oilers . 1998 marked the opening of a new stadium for the Ravens, currently known as M&T Bank Stadium , but originally named " PSINet Stadium" after the now-defunct internet service provider which purchased the original naming rights. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde left for
15573-534: The Ravens traveled to Denver to play against the top-seeded Broncos. In a very back-and-forth contest, the Ravens pulled out a 38–35 victory in two overtimes. They then won their 2nd AFC championship by coming back from a 13–7 halftime deficit to defeat the Patriots once again, 28–13. The Ravens played the Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers . Baltimore built a 28–6 lead early in
15752-447: The Ravens, with two picks in the first round, drafted offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden at No. 4 overall and linebacker Ray Lewis at No. 26 overall. Both Ogden and Lewis went on to play for the Ravens for their entire professional careers and were both inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . The 1996 Ravens won their opening game against the Oakland Raiders , but finished the season 4–12 despite receiver Michael Jackson leading
15931-477: The Texans 25–13. With their playoff chances and season hanging in the balance, the Ravens took on the Browns in Week 17 at home. After three quarters had gone by and down 10–3, Joe Flacco led the Ravens on a comeback scoring 17 unanswered points, winning 20–10. With the win, and the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the San Diego Chargers, the Ravens clinched their sixth playoff berth in seven seasons. In
16110-1055: The WWF/WWE. Keibler moved to Los Angeles in 2004, where she was roommates with Torrie Wilson . In June 2005, Keibler was reported to be in a relationship with actor Geoff Stults . The pair appeared together on MTV 's Punk'd , with Keibler as the recipient of the prank. Keibler and Stults were part-owners of the now defunct Hollywood Fame, a 2006 expansion franchise of the American Basketball Association . The team went defunct after only one season. Stults and Keibler split in 2010. Keibler started dating George Clooney in July 2011. Clooney and Keibler ended their relationship in July 2013. Keibler began dating Future Ads CEO Jared Pobre in fall 2013, though they had been friends for several years previously. They were married on March 8, 2014, in Mexico. They have two daughters and
16289-401: The arena's loudspeakers, his being Pomp and Circumstance . He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star Hulk Hogan would delight
16468-418: The art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term kayfabe comes from carny slang. By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice: American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that
16647-561: The audience by tearing his shirt off before each match. The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included Jack Curley , Lou Daro, Paul Bowser and Tom and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As
16826-479: The bye, and with Billick calling the offense, Baltimore would record a five-game win streak before losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in week 13. Still ranked second overall to first-place San Diego Chargers , the Ravens continued on. They defeated the Kansas City Chiefs , and held the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers to only one touchdown at Heinz Field , allowing the Ravens to clinch
17005-424: The cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who
17184-418: The case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming. Towards
17363-423: The character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. Kayfabe is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling
17542-461: The commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between Jim Londos and Jim Browning in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over. Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named Jack Pfefer started talking about
17721-586: The company as the manager Miss Hancock. As Miss Hancock, Keibler was known for doing table dances, her relationship with David Flair , and a pregnancy angle . After WCW was purchased by the WWF (later WWE) in 2001, Keibler moved to the new company during the Attitude Era , using her real name and taking part in the Invasion storyline , also managing the Dudley Boyz . Keibler also managed Test and Scott Steiner . Before her departure from WWE in 2006, she
17900-540: The current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is good." Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine
18079-839: The daughter of Patricia and Gary Keibler. Beginning at the age of three, Keibler took ballet , jazz , and tap dancing classes at Jean Kettell Studio of Dance in Dundalk, Maryland . She went to St. Clement Mary Hofbauer School in Rosedale for her early schooling. In 1990, Keibler won the title of Miss Maryland Pre-Teen, after competing for the title in Timonium , and went on to win the National Miss Pre-Teen Crown. After attending The Catholic High School of Baltimore , an all-girls school, she attended Towson University , where she studied mass communication . She attended
18258-462: The elimination of Shadrick McGee from Tough Enough . Stacy and Torrie then defeated Jacqueline in a handicap match on Raw with help from Ivory . On the Heat before SummerSlam , Stacy along with Torrie and Ivory, brutally attacked Lita backstage by injuring her knee, with the intent of preventing her from competing against them later that night. Stacy also had a brief reunion with Shawn Stasiak, and
18437-405: The end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and
18616-534: The episode " Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra " of How I Met Your Mother . Keibler made her video game debut in WCW Backstage Assault as her Miss Hancock character. She would later appear in thirteen WWE console games, which include: WWE WrestleMania X8 , WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth , WWE Crush Hour , WWE WrestleMania XIX , WWE Raw 2 , WWE SmackDown! Here Comes
18795-603: The facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but Lou Thesz accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real. The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that kayfabe still mattered to
18974-511: The face and hindered his attempts to win the match with slow counts. After D'Lo argued with Stacy about her actions, he was smashed in the face by a big boot from Test, which Stacy thoroughly enjoyed watching. She then made a quick 3 count to help the villain Test win the match. This would begin the on screen pairing between her and Test which would last for the remainder of 2002 and most of 2003. She enjoyed watching him rip apart fan favourites, such as
19153-493: The face gimmick of Victoria . Keibler got upset victories over Kim, Stratus, and Holly. She earned a Women's Championship title match on October 11, 2004, but she was defeated by Stratus, who retained the title. Keibler also competed in the first-ever Fulfill your Fantasy Diva Battle Royal for the WWE Women's Championship at Taboo Tuesday along with Victoria, Nidia, Gail Kim, Molly Holly, Jazz , and then-champion Stratus. She
19332-433: The final round of the competition, and Drew Lachey , the winner of the season. Two of the judges, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman , felt she should have at least placed second. Oddsmakers had considered her the favorite to win the competition. Keibler has appeared on MTV 's Punk'd twice. In season five Keibler took part in helping prank Triple H, which also included Stephanie McMahon . In season seven, however, Keibler
19511-470: The first place. "Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as Dick Shikat in 1936. In
19690-604: The first time since 2007. On January 27, 2014, the Ravens hired former Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak to be their new offensive coordinator after Jim Caldwell accepted the new available head coaching job with the Detroit Lions . On February 15, 2014, star running back Ray Rice and his fiancée Janay Palmer were arrested and charged with assault after a physical altercation at Revel Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey . Celebrity news website TMZ posted
19869-675: The following year. The resulting controversy ended when representatives of Cleveland and the NFL reached a settlement on February 8, 1996. Tagliabue promised the city of Cleveland that an NFL team would be located in Cleveland, either through relocation or expansion, "no later than 1999". Additionally, the agreement stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, uniform design and franchise records would remain in Cleveland. The franchise history includes Browns club records and connections with Pro Football Hall of Fame players. Modell's Baltimore team, while retaining all current player contracts, would, for purposes of team history, appear as an expansion team ,
20048-634: The football team when they came to the city and the wheelchair basketball team became known as the Maryland Ravens. After the controversial 1984 relocation of the Colts to Indianapolis, several attempts were made to bring an NFL team back to Baltimore. In 1993, ahead of the 1995 league expansion, the city was considered a favorite, behind only St. Louis , to be granted one of two new franchises. League officials and team owners feared litigation due to conflicts between rival bidding groups if St. Louis
20227-610: The game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to honest ones was really so high. The wrestler Lou Thesz recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to fakery. Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as
20406-460: The government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself
20585-526: The independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with
20764-480: The industry was anything but a competitive sport. The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was Jack Pfefer . In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore
20943-496: The industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like Jack Curley were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of kayfabe as best they could. Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by
21122-490: The initial committee voting system to prevent the entire league ownership from voting on Baltimore's bid. This led to public outrage and The Baltimore Sun describing Tagliabue as having an "Anybody But Baltimore" policy. Maryland governor William Donald Schaefer said afterward that Tagliabue had led him on, praising Baltimore and the proposed owners while working behind-the-scenes to oppose Baltimore's bid. By May 1994, Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos had gathered
21301-417: The last play of the game, Justin Tucker kicked a 27-yard field goal to win the game 31–30, capping off a second intense and controversially officiated game in a row for the Ravens. The Ravens would win the AFC North with a 10–6 record, but finished 4th in the AFC playoff seeding, and thus had to play a wild-card game. After defeating the Indianapolis Colts 24–9 at home (the final home game of Ray Lewis),
21480-474: The league with 14 touchdown catches. The 1997 Ravens started 3–1. Peter Boulware , a rookie defender from Florida State , recorded 11.5 sacks and was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year. The team finished 6–9–1. On October 26, the team made its first trip to Landover, Maryland to play their new regional rivals , the Washington Redskins . The Ravens won the game 20–17. On December 14, 1997,
21659-506: The loudspeakers Tagliabue's exact location in Camden Yards any time he attended a Baltimore Orioles game, Tagliabue remarked of Baltimore's financial package: "Maybe (Baltimore) can open another museum with that money." Following this, Angelos made an unsuccessful $ 200 million bid to bring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Baltimore. Having failed to obtain a franchise via the expansion, the city, despite having "misgivings", turned to
21838-637: The major American team sports which did not carry forward the records of the team as it existed prior to its move to a new location (until the Arizona Coyotes relocated to become the Utah Hockey Club in the NHL). The team is owned by Steve Bisciotti and was valued at $ 4.63 billion in 2023, making them the 28th-most valuable sports franchise globally. The Ravens have been one of the most successful NFL franchises since their inception, compiling
22017-407: The man in charge, the heel WWE chairman, Vince McMahon . McMahon was ready to hire another attractive woman until Keibler interrupted and performed a seductive table dance in the ring to successfully become McMahon's personal assistant, as well as his on-screen mistress. She was frequently shown flirting and 'making out' with him in backstage segments. During her time alongside the boss she lied that
22196-460: The match. Steiner then turned heel by attacking Keibler after her interference in his match on the September 29 episode of Raw backfired. For a time, Test and Steiner worked as a tag team, sharing the services of Keibler as their on-screen sex slave . The storyline finally ended on the December 1 episode of Raw , when general manager Mick Foley freed Keibler from her obligatory contracts with Test and Steiner by temporarily firing them. Keibler
22375-498: The members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms. By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members, Paul Bowser , bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in
22554-481: The middle of the three ropes that surround the ring. During 2000, she dated David Flair (both on-screen and off-screen), who was already involved in an on-screen relationship with Daffney . Ms. Hancock set her eyes on Flair and ended up stealing him away from Daffney and continued to torment the woman whose boyfriend she stole, and the two would feud throughout the Summer of 2000. This led to Keibler's in-ring debut at
22733-478: The name Ms. Hancock and went by her real name. On the March 12, 2001 edition of Nitro , Keibler revealed Shawn Stasiak as her "baby" and continued her role as a heel manager, siding with Stasiak. Shawn and Stacy would feud with Bam Bam Bigelow, with the evil Stacy using underhanded tactics to help Stasiak win 2 matches from a series of 3, including on the final edition of Nitro two weeks later on March 26. When WCW
22912-495: The name Skye. By 2000, Keibler was appearing on WCW as a Nitro Girl, attending school full-time, and cheering for the Baltimore Ravens . She soon accepted a larger role and became a heel valet using the stage name Miss Hancock (some weeks spelled "Handcock"), briefly serving as an associate for the tag team of Lenny Lane and Lodi dubbed Standards and Practices . Despite wearing business suits , her character
23091-424: The one to personally give the order to the Dudley Boyz to put Torrie through a table. Stacy couldn't hide her joy at seeing Torrie suffering at her feet and laughed at the sight. A few days later on Smackdown , Stacy watched with glee as the Dudley Boyz threw Spike to the outside of the ring and through a table, as commentator Michael Cole acknowledged how wicked Stacy was and called her “ evil ”. Torrie would return
23270-564: The original Baltimore Ravens. In 1972, the Ravens wheelchair basketball team was founded by Ralph Smith, long-term resident of Baltimore, second Vice President of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) and Member of the NWBA Hall of Fame. The name "Ravens" was inspired by Bob Ardinger, a member of the Ravens wheelchair basketball team. In the 1990s, the naming rights were later sold to
23449-527: The playoffs for the second straight year. They were eliminated from playoff contention after their Week 16 loss to their division rivals, the Steelers . This was the first time the Ravens missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2004 – 2005 , as well as the first in the Harbaugh/Flacco era. During the 2017 season , the Ravens improved upon their 8–8 record from 2016 by one win, finishing
23628-494: The playoffs in 2004 and finished the season with a record of 9–7 with Boller spending the season at QB. They did get good play from veteran corner Deion Sanders and third-year safety Ed Reed , who won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. They were also the only team to defeat the 15–1 Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season. The next off-season, the Ravens looked to augment their receiving corps (which
23807-415: The possibility of obtaining the Cleveland Browns , whose owner Art Modell was financially struggling and at odds with the city of Cleveland over needed improvements to the team's stadium. Enticed by Baltimore's available funds for a first-class stadium and a promised yearly operating subsidy of $ 25 million, Modell announced on November 6, 1995, his intention to relocate the team from Cleveland to Baltimore
23986-625: The primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or feuds , between heroic " faces " and villainous " heels ". A wrestling ring , akin to the platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to reality television . Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with choreography , stunts , improvisation , and dramatic conventions designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement. Professional wrestling as
24165-717: The promotion's closing in 1991. In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on TBS . McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP started informally calling itself World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During
24344-439: The sale of his franchise. On March 27, 2000, NFL owners approved the sale of 49% of the Ravens to Steve Bisciotti . In the deal, Bisciotti had an option to purchase the remaining 51% for $ 325 million in 2004 from Art Modell. On April 9, 2004, the NFL approved Steve Bisciotti's purchase of the majority stake in the club. Banks shared playing time in the 2000 regular season with Trent Dilfer . Both players put up decent numbers (and
24523-422: The season 9–7 and missing the playoffs for the third year in a row. This marked the first time the Ravens failed to make the playoffs in three straight seasons since the team's first three years of existence (1996–1998). The Ravens suffered a loss at home to the Cincinnati Bengals in the final game of the season that prevented them from earning a playoff berth. The Ravens drafted quarterback Lamar Jackson with
24702-556: The season was an uneven string of wins and losses, which included a home victory over Pittsburgh in overtime followed by a Monday Night loss in Green Bay . That game was notable for the number of penalties committed, costing a total of 310 yards, and almost tying with the record set by Tampa Bay and Seattle in 1976 . Afterwards, the Ravens easily crushed the Lions and Bears , giving up less than ten points in both games. The next match
24881-442: The second season of Dancing with the Stars , alongside her dance partner, Tony Dovolani . Keibler received a perfect score of 30 from the three judges for her samba dance routine in week five. This prompted judge, Bruno Tonioli , to nickname her a "weapon of mass seduction." Overall, Keibler and Dovolani received four perfect scores. Keibler was eliminated in the final episode, coming in third to Jerry Rice , who placed second in
25060-440: The stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked. A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For
25239-412: The stomach, and she revealed herself to be pregnant the next night, beginning a new angle for herself and Flair. Two proposed endings to the storyline were for either Ric Flair or Vince Russo to be the father of her child. The angle, however, ended prematurely, as she revealed the pregnancy to be false, broke up with David Flair, and was taken off of television. When Stacy returned in 2001, she dropped
25418-460: The superhero Hurricane and would also use her deviousness to help him win matches, such as when she delivered a low blow to Goldust . As Test's on-screen marketing agent, she came up with the idea that Test should call his fans "Testicles," cut his hair, and reshape his image. This caused the gimmick to become popular with the audience and the couple switched from being villains into fan favorites in November 2002. This would be Stacy's first time as
25597-585: The team. The Ravens finished the 2007 season in the AFC North cellar with a disappointing 5–11 record. A humiliating 22–16 overtime loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins on December 16 ultimately led to Billick's dismissal after the end of the regular season. He was replaced by John Harbaugh , the special teams coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the older brother of former Ravens quarterback Jim Harbaugh (1998). With rookies at head coach ( John Harbaugh ) and quarterback ( Joe Flacco ),
25776-426: The territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of cable television in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV,
25955-545: The third quarter before a partial power outage in the Superdome suspended play for 34 minutes (earning the game the added nickname of the Blackout Bowl). After play resumed, San Francisco scored 17 unanswered third-quarter points to cut the Ravens' lead, 28–23, and continued to chip away in the fourth quarter. With the Ravens leading late in the game, 34–29, the 49ers advanced to the Baltimore 7-yard line just before
26134-532: The tie-in with the other birds in town, the Orioles , and found it easy to visualize a tough, menacing black bird". Edgar Allan Poe also had distant relatives who played football for the Princeton Tigers in the 1880s through the early 1900s. These brothers were famous players in the early days of American football. Before the football team, there was the Baltimore Ravens wheelchair basketball team —
26313-519: The trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed. By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified as contests by
26492-471: The truth, their audiences would desert them. Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic, competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it
26671-438: The two having a match on Velocity , which Keibler lost. This would be Keibler's final match with WWE. Keibler then asked for time off to appear on Dancing with the Stars . During this time, Keibler's WWE.com profile was moved from SmackDown! to RAW , though she never made an appearance on the brand before leaving the company. Keibler's final mention on WWE programming occurred on the March 6, 2006 episode of RAW , where she
26850-435: The university on a partial scholarship and had a 3.7 grade point average (GPA). Keibler had minor parts in movies such as Pecker and Liberty Heights , as well as small modeling jobs. Keibler became a cheerleader for the Baltimore Ravens football team when she was 18. Keibler began watching wrestling with her boyfriend at the time, Kris Cumberland. She can be seen in the crowd on an episode of Nitro in 1997 and
27029-535: The way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused. Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as Kurt Angle and his fictional persona ). The actions of
27208-567: The wild card round, the Ravens won 30–17 against their divisional rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers , at Heinz Field . In the next game in the Divisional round, the Ravens faced the New England Patriots . Despite a strong offensive effort and having a 14-point lead twice in the game, the Ravens were defeated by the Patriots 35–31, ending their season. The 2015 season marked 20 seasons of the franchise's existence competing in
27387-416: The women there. She was given the role of being a special referee on a couple of occasions and used them as opportunities to abuse her power. Stacy liked counting quickly when her fellow bad girls were making pin attempts and counted slowly for the fan favorites. In another role as a special referee, Stacy was put in charge of a match between Test and D'Lo Brown . At the start of the match Stacy slapped D’Lo in
27566-420: The wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked
27745-453: The young rookie Randy Orton had forced himself on her, which caused Orton to be punished with a match against the mean veteran Hardcore Holly . A few weeks later she sat at ringside and enjoyed watching the rookie Orton get beaten up some more, this time by Test. She also had a personal ringside view when Triple H was ambushed in a 6 on 1 beatdown by some of McMahon's henchmen. The sadistic Stacy looked on and grinned with pleasure as Triple H
27924-425: Was Wrestling As You Like It , which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to kayfabe . Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional wrestling
28103-459: Was powerbombed through a table after accidentally costing the team a match. She then set her sights on the WWE Women's Championship at Judgment Day , facing Trish Stratus in a losing effort. She faced Stratus several more times in the succeeding weeks, but she never won a match against her. Keibler was originally drafted to the SmackDown! brand in 2002, where she immediately set her eyes on
28282-533: Was a wrestling fan who first got her interested in wrestling, and they would sometimes go to WCW and WWF events within two hours’ drive of Baltimore. In 2000, after winning $ 10,000 in the contest to become a part of the Nitro Girls , Keibler used the money to buy season tickets for the Baltimore Ravens , the team for which she cheers and was a former cheerleader. In 2000, Keibler dated David Flair during their time together in WCW. From 2001 to 2005, Keibler dated Andrew "Test" Martin while they both worked together in
28461-550: Was affiliated with The Hurricane and Rosey and nicknamed "Super Stacy". Keibler was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars : season two , where she placed third. She has also appeared on other ABC series such as What About Brian , George Lopez , and October Road , as well as the 100th episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother as a bartender and on the USA Network show Psych . Keibler has also modeled, appearing in both Maxim and Stuff magazines. Keibler
28640-609: Was against the Steelers , where Baltimore lost a close one before beating the Raiders to end the season. With a record of 9–7, the team finished second in the division and gained another wild card. Moving into the playoffs, they overwhelmed the Patriots 33–14; nevertheless they did not reach the AFC Championship because they were routed 20–3 by the Colts in the Divisional Round a week later. Baltimore managed to beat
28819-591: Was awarded a franchise. In October Charlotte, North Carolina was the first city chosen. Several weeks later, Baltimore's bid for a franchise—dubbed the Baltimore Bombers , in honor of the locally produced Martin B-26 Marauder bomber —had three ownership groups in place and a state financial package which included a proposed $ 200 million, rent-free stadium and permission to charge up to $ 80 million in personal seat license fees. Baltimore, however,
28998-771: Was beaten and bloodied in the assault. She also continued her rivalry with Torrie Wilson during this time period, and even tried to throw Torrie off the stage on an episode of SmackDown! , but a referee saved Torrie just in time and stopped Stacy's evil plan from being a success. Her time with McMahon came to an end when Stephanie McMahon became general manager of the SmackDown! brand. Dawn Marie made her debut on SmackDown! as McMahon's legal assistant, who competed with Keibler for McMahon's affections. A key storyline for Keibler's on-screen character occurred when she left SmackDown! for Raw . Keibler made her official Raw debut on August 12, 2002, and immediately began feuding with
29177-488: Was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with "policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in
29356-557: Was chosen to record a track on the album WWE Originals . She and WWE music producer Jim Johnston recorded the song "Why Can't We Just Dance?" for the album. She was then placed in a feud involving Torrie Wilson and then-babyface, Sable , both of whom had recently posed for a Playboy cover. Keibler aligned with Miss Jackie , neither of whom had posed for the magazine, claiming that they deserved to be in Playboy over Sable and Wilson. Keibler and Jackie challenged Sable and Wilson to
29535-455: Was demonstrating how ruthless he could be in order to defeat The Undertaker. Keibler then joined forces with The Hurricane and Rosey . She became one-third of the trio as a superhero sidekick nicknamed Super Stacy, complete with her own superhero costume. She was ringside during several matches as they defended their World Tag Team Championship . During this time, Keibler feuded on-screen with then-heel, Victoria, including confrontations and
29714-486: Was eliminated second to last after jumping over the top rope to avoid hitting the turnbuckle, followed by Holly knocking her off the apron to eliminate her. In February 2005, Keibler began appearing in backstage segments with then-babyface, Randy Orton, and eventually became his on-screen girlfriend. When Orton challenged The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania 21 , Orton ended the relationship by hitting Stacy with an RKO, incapacitating her. He justified it by claiming he
29893-584: Was inducted by both Mick Foley and Torrie Wilson at the official ceremony ahead of WrestleMania 39 , appearing with fellow inductees on-stage during the second night of the event. As the Fitness Editor at Stuff magazine during 2005 and 2006, Keibler wrote and modeled for her own occasional column, Getting Fit with Stacy Keibler. She has appeared on the cover of that magazine twice -June 2005 and March 2006. Maxim named Keibler No. 5 in its 2006 Hot 100 issue, and No. 70 in its 2007 Hot 100. In 2008, she
30072-413: Was insulted by Candice Michelle for placing third on Dancing with the Stars during Michelle's unveiling of her Playboy magazine cover. After completing her stint on Dancing with the Stars , Keibler officially parted ways with WWE in July 2006 to move on to other endeavors. After leaving WWE in July 2006, Keibler made a special guest appearance for WWE's reality show, Tough Enough in 2011. Being
30251-437: Was known to climb on top of the announcers' table and dance sensually. It was also during this period that she began using what would become her trademark ring entrance: slowly putting her forty-two inch legs through the second tier of ropes, pausing to let the crowd momentarily see her panties underneath her incredibly short skirts. At 5 feet 11 inches, Keibler was one of few women in professional wrestling tall enough to step over
30430-550: Was later promoted to vice-president/general manager. The home stadium for the Ravens first two seasons was Baltimore's Memorial Stadium , previously home to the Baltimore Colts , the Baltimore Orioles , and the Canadian Football League 's Baltimore Stallions . The Ravens moved to their own new stadium, now known as M&T Bank Stadium , next to Camden Yards in 1998. In the 1996 NFL draft ,
30609-456: Was named No. 64 in FHM 's annual 100 Sexiest Women list. Keibler was featured in an advertisement in the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. In September 2008, Keibler appeared on ABC Family's mini television series, Samurai Girl as the heel character Karen. On November 23, 2008, Keibler was named the "World's Hottest Athlete" by a sixty-four contestant bracket on InGameNow. Keibler hosted
30788-560: Was named No. 89 in Maxim' s annual Hot 100 list.; the following year she was No. 77. In 2010, she was No. 82 and in 2011 she was No. 72. And in 2012 she was ranked 51. Keibler has declined two invitations from Playboy to pose in the nude for its magazine. Keibler starred in a commercial for AT&T Corporation alongside Carrot Top . She also auditioned and earned a role in Big Momma's House 2 , but she did not appear. She competed in
30967-650: Was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s. In 1989, Vince McMahon was looking to exempt his promotion (the World Wrestling Federation ) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before
31146-454: Was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 2001, Keibler's Time Warner contract was bought by the WWF. Stacy made her WWF television debut on the June 14, 2001 episode of SmackDown! when then-face, Shane McMahon brought her to the ring to distract then- heel , Rhyno , causing him to lose a match. Not long after this she turned into a heel character as part of The Alliance . Stacy showed herself to be an evil mean girl that had
31325-640: Was second-worst in the NFL in 2004) by signing Derrick Mason from the Titans and drafting Oklahoma wide receiver Mark Clayton in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft . However, the Ravens ended their season 6–10. The 2006 Baltimore Ravens season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record of 2005. The Ravens, for the first time in franchise history, started 4–0, under the leadership of former Titans quarterback Steve McNair . In 2006 , The Ravens lost two straight games mid-season on offensive troubles, prompting coach Billick to drop their offensive coordinator Jim Fassel in their week seven bye. After
31504-567: Was seen as a victim of a prank by her then-boyfriend, Geoff Stults . In February 2007, Keibler began a recurring role in ABC's What About Brian . She played the role of Brian's new neighbor and love interest. This was Keibler's first major acting role, following her previous minor roles in both Bubble Boy and Pecker . Keibler guest starred on George Lopez on ABC. In the fall of 2007 Keibler appeared both in The Comebacks and on ABC's drama October Road . In April 2008, she
31683-415: Was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted
31862-417: Was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among
32041-509: Was unexpectedly passed over in favor of Jacksonville, Florida , despite Jacksonville's minor TV market status and that the city had withdrawn from contention in the summer, only to return with then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue 's urging. Although league officials denied that any city had been favored, it was reported that Tagliabue and his longtime friend Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke had lobbied against Baltimore due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and that Tagliabue had used
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